Does a water-based lubricant affect Pap smear and cervical microbiology results?

Relevance to family physicians Vaginal speculum examination is routinely performed by most family physicians, most commonly to obtain a Pap smear or to test for sexually transmitted infections, mainly Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The most common reason cited by women for not having routine speculum examination is pain during the examination.1 Whether or not lubrication will decrease discomfort during the speculum examination has never been tested, but several women have indicated to one of the authors (M.P.) that speculum examinations with lubrication are more comfortable. However, although lubrication might make the speculum examination more comfortable, most family physicians are reluctant to use lubrication because they have been told that it alters cytology and microbiology results.2-4